What's so great about a major story arc, anyways?
------------------------When thinking back to that rather large auditorium inside of the Javits Center as I watched, transfixed on Dan Didio the editor of DC Comics pace up and down the isle interacting with fans, I can remember feeling almost important.
I have yet to have a conversation with comic book fans like the one I and the other 35 people in the crowd had with Didio. He makes you feel like you are valuable; like your opinion matters.
"What do you guys think, do you like big story arc's?"
Do I like big story arcs? Three weeks later and I am still struggling to conjure a response to that question.Starting with defining a story arc seems like a good place. In a nutshell, to have a story arc, you take one specific event or conflict and have it transcend throughout several smaller stories.
Marvel's current ongoing story arc is Dark Reign, for example. The writer thinks up one story and molds it into all the different books of that Universe, highliting how that one major and very specific event managed to effect each character individually.
Seems confusing? It can be, and that's part of the problem; but we'll get to that.
So now that we know what it is, we can understand why they do it. So, why do they do it?
There is only one real answer to this question, and that is $$$. Comic book companies are constantly having to reinvent themselves in order to sell books. Individual small stories, according to Didio, just don't sell the way they used to. Readers need drama, big drama, and major events like 52 and Secret Invasion help propel drama and ultimately, they are the way that these companies make the most of their money. Readers are more likely to read a major story arc than they are to buy an individual book because with a story arc, there is almost always the promise of some major shocking even that will shake the foundation of the company.
The advantages and disadvantages of a major story arc
Lets start with the positive stuff. Probably the best thing about a major story arc is the fact that characters that may not necessarilly get a lot of ink, probably will. In DC's 52 for example, Batwoman, a character that had been around for over two decades was re-introduced. No longer in existence for the sole purpose of being Batman's primary love interest of yesteryear; she was revamped and her character's sexuality put into question. A bold move for DC. She is a good example of the advantages of having a major story arc. DC has "x" number of books. Giving a character like Batwoman her own book would have been detrimental to sales. In the end, DC would have spent more on putting the book out there and they would have obtained very little revenue in return. Not worth the trouble. However, placing her in a major story arc will expose her to a wide audience. People that may not know anything about her character and read "52" were introduced to her. In addition, having her interact with other characters is a great way to develop her character. Major story arcs are the best way to develop relationships between characters within that universe because they are all right there and have ample opportunity to play off of one another.The disadvantages of a major story arc essentially depend on the organization in general. Take Dark Reign for example. As Didio stated during his panel, (and I am in full concurrence with him,) Marvel could never have had "Dark Reign" without first having "Secret Invasion." There is sheer brilliance in writing that has been so cautiously planned out. When you have every single character in your universe getting involved, you need to be organized. I think it is clear that Marvel has achieved this, and as a result, created Dark Reign which is at the moment the best ongoing story in comic books right now (in my opinion). I think that this was the problem with Final Crisis and Batman R.I.P. How did Batman's death factor into Final Crisis? I still am confused about that.
Essentially, major story arcs are important to sales, and if they are well done, they can be a lot of fun. So I ask you guys what Didio asked me three weeks ago: What do you think of major story arcs?
-Babs
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